Where Can I Go
by SweetHeartxx
Summary: A Peter fic about his childhood and his father's neglect which ultimately leads to the path he chooses in the end. Not my typical portrayl of the energetic marauder... but it worked with the challenge, and the plot.


**Challenge fic. "Growing Up Challenge" by Elledreamer. **

The little boy with the sandy-blonde hair cowered at the roar of his father's rising temper. The small toddler was believed to be asleep, a few hours ago in the least, but he was a light sleeper. The five year old had no idea what was going on, the fights had never escalated to such a level before, sure he'd heard the arguments, the small tussles, but there had never been any shouting. Nothing had ever frightened the poor boy so much before. His faded green eyes peeked through the key hole in his bedroom door, clad in his dinosaur pajamas.

"_Evan, he's your son! You cannot treat him like this. It's wrong."_

"_Sure, I'm wrong Lilac, but you… you can have the kid without saying a word to me? And I'm the father? For all I care, Peter has never been and will never be my child…"_

The tears began then, in the corner of his eyes… Poor Peter, he was only five years old; he should never have to hear his father say such a thing about him. He rubbed his eyes, knowing he shouldn't go out of his room, that he should just crawl back in his bed and pretend he was sleeping. But even then, before he was old enough to really understand what was happening, trouble just seemed to find him.

"_I'm sorry Lilac. It wasn't my choice. We agreed not to have children. And then you don't even tell me…"_

"_It was my mistake, not the boy's. He didn't decide to be born. Peter is a special boy, Evan, but he wants his father. He needs you."_

Peter wasn't sure why he needed his father, but he knew the words that his mother spoke were true. Somewhere deep down, he needed his daddy's approval, something it seemed he would never win. He rubbed his wet eyes and turned to look at his bed. Above it hung three pictures Peter had painted with his fingers. The one in the middle was his daddy. His arms may have been stubs and his feet may have looked more like bubbles, but Peter was only 5, what could anyone have expected? After all, he was not any artistic protégé, he was a simple normal child, well as simple as a wizard's child could get.

Maybe that was why his daddy was angry; maybe he didn't want him to be magic. He sniffed as the tear stains on his cheeks started to dry. What Peter wouldn't give if it meant his daddy wanted him. If there was one thing that he understood, even then, it seemed, well it seemed that not very many people liked having him around, especially his father. Peter felt like a bother, something no young child should ever have to go through, least of all at home.

"_Well, I don't need him, Lilac. I don't want him."_

His daddy… he didn't want him. Peter sniffed and bit his lower lip. Before the first tear could even escape, there was the slamming of the door. His father had just left… where was his daddy going? Was he leaving because him? That was when Peter reached up and struggled with the doorknob, barely in his reach. And as the door slowly creaked open, he saw his mother on the floor, weeping into her hands; she didn't even look up at the sound of the door.

That's when Peter could stay strong no longer, and how could anyone blame him; he was only five. He toddled to his mother and crawled into her lap, nuzzling his face into her shoulder. Lilac looked up at her son through teary eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around her boy.

"Don't listen to daddy, Petey. He doesn't know what he's saying."

And for the next hour they sat there like that until Peter fell asleep, safely in his mother's arms.

&&&

Nobody wanted him then, and nobody wanted him now, not even his best friends. Sure he was their secret keeper, but that was only because Sirius was afraid and Remus, they suspected him of spying. But, no, not Peter. Peter was _always_ there for you to fall back on. But, no, not this time. He was going to show them; he was going to show them all.

Nobody would ever mock him again. Peter refused to stand in their shadows any longer. There was no reason for it; they were only holding him back. But now, now the little boy that everyone picked on was going to show them all. They would never forget about Peter again. No, instead they would fear him, just as he had once feared them.

Here in the dark and deserted graveyard keep of the Riddle mansion, Peter finally found what he had been searching for. He had found the place where the Dark Lord himself had once lived and that it was rumored he used occasionally to touch base with his death eaters, his fearless and most loyal followers. It was here that Peter would create a name for himself, gain the power he could only have imagined. And then… the greatest pleasure would be the look on their faces, all of them. His father, he would pay for hurting his mum so badly all those times, the marauders, his best friends… as if… they had never really included Peter… simply allowed him to tag along, and those death eater, former Slytherin gits that had found it so entertaining, so amusing to push Peter around in his youth. Here was where that Peter died… this was the time for Peter to break lose, to show everyone what he was really made of, once and for all.

The dead leaves crumpled under his light steps. He needed to do this before he lost his nerve. Peter could only stay strong for quite so long, and according to his natural instinct, his tepidness was about to reemerge quite shortly. But how did one go about calling for the Dark Lord. You couldn't simply call him, could you? Surely, there was something against that… but Peter didn't have to wait long. Before he could imagine what was happening to him, there was a wand pointed at his face, right at his nose. The wand of one, Lucius Malfoy.

"What do you want, you little prat?"

"Malfoy... I want to speak to the... it's very important... please don't..."

"Stop that useless muttering, you fool. You're still just a slimy, pathetic little runt."

Peter balled his fists at Malfoy, but quickly undid so as his wand pressed right up into his nose. Malfoy appeared just about ready to utter something when he was commanded to stop. And from the shadows, a truly horrifying figure approached them, the Dark Lord was actually here… Peter quivered but under the cold stare of the master himself, Peter murmured the only thing that came to mind.

"Sir, I can tell you where they are; I can tell you where to find Lily and James Potter…"


End file.
